New Orleans Saints Executive Vice President/General Manager Mickey Loomis has announced that the club has agreed to terms on a five-year contract with unrestricted free agent LB Curtis Lofton.

Lofton, 6-0, 241 pounds, was originally picked by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round (37th overall) of the 2008 NFL Draft, starting 63 of the 64 games he has appeared in. In four seasons, Lofton has notched 577 tackles (387 solo), while filling up the stat sheet with four sacks, three interceptions, seven forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 15 pass defenses.

"Curtis is a versatile, hard-working player that has displayed a knack for being around the football, and more importantly, making plays on the ball," Loomis said. "He has the ability to play all three linebacker positions and we feel that he's just entering the prime of his career. We think he can come to New Orleans and fit in well and provide us with a significant contribution to our defense."

In 2011, the former University of Oklahoma standout enjoyed his most productive season as he started all 16 games at middle linebacker for the Falcons and led the team with a career-high 170 tackles, also chipping in one sack, two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and seven pass defenses. The Kingfisher, Oklahoma native also opened up the team's playoff contest and tied for the team lead with 12 stops.